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George Washington's Mothers Gingerbread




Source of Recipe


Katie Green


Recipe Introduction


This is a wonderful recipe. Gingerbread goes well back to middle ages and earlier. Ladies would bestow favours of gingerbread, some ornately tooled to look like velvet or leather boxes, to knights during tournaments. They were decorated with cloves, gold and silver leaf, and were sometimes even in the shape of religious icons. Gingerbread was sold at faires and gatherings like we sell our hotdogs and popcorn of today. In the netherlands there were mansized gingerbread molds. Gingerbreads can be traced to German, Italian, Swiss and Austrian cuisine. These gingerbreads of old were highly decorated, gilded and painted with colored sugars. Gingerbread molds are prized by antique collectors. In colonial american days, the molds were of wood and recipes were considered signature and guarded with pride. It was a custom to add mincemeat or candied fruits to the ginerbread as well. The hot coffee added to this recipe is what forms the moist gooey glaze which has a hint of a slight crackle to it, as you bite into it. Its heaven when warm. The recipe is attributed to George Washingtons Mother. It has been referenced in two old books in my keeping, and also featured by Womans Day. I am sure this recipe can be traced back to England and is dated in the early 1600s. I am positive it is of british decent. It has been adapted to modern measurements. I DONT add the mincemeat or candied fruit. [Katie]


List of Ingredients




1 c All-purpose flour; sifted
1/3 c Butter
2 tb All-purpose flour; sifted
1/2 c Coffee; hot, strong, boiling
1 1/4 ts Baking powder
1/3 c Dark brown sugar; firmly
1/4 ts Baking soda
1/2 c Molasses; dark
1 ts Ground ginger
1 Egg; well beaten
1/4 ts Ground nutmeg
1/3 c Mincemeat ; OPTIONAL Or candied orange peel
3/4 ts Ground cinnamon
1/8 ts Salt


Recipe



Sift dry ingredients together. Add butter/shortening to boiling coffee and stir until dissolved. Add sugar and molasses to same mixture. Combine with dry ingredients; add beated egg and continue to beat until batter is smooth. (Fold in mincemeat if using.) Butter and lightly flour 9 inch square pan or small loaf pan. Pour in batter and bake in preheated 350F oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Cut and serve warm or with Lemon Sauce or Whipped Cream.